This gift in action
Life has never been easy for cotton grower Elka Samba and her family from Andhra Pradesh, India, especially after losing her husband.
She struggled to make a living from labouring and growing on her small plot of land with little success, until she heard about organic farming training available through an Oxfam-supported co-operative.
So Elka trained in organic growing organic cotton: "When I was farming conventionally, I could not afford to pay for food for my family. I was in so much debt." But her organic cotton sales meant that she could improve her income and take out a loan to put a business idea into practice.
Elka took out a loan to buy a pulverising machine: "and it was a day that changed my life as everyone in the village came to my home. Having this machine has given me recognition in my community, which I have never had before."
"This machine has helped me to increase my earnings and help other organic farmers in my village. I use the pulveriser to ground down people's spice crops, and Neem seeds, chillies and garlic that they mix and use as bio-pesticides."
"With the machine and just my own one acre of land, life is much easier and much more bearable thanks to Oxfam."